SEREMBAN: Negri Sembilan DAP will accept the decision made by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Barisan Nasional's request for two additional seats to contest in the state, says Anthony Loke (pic).

The DAP secretary-general said the party had given the Pakatan Harapan chairman the final say on the matter.

In the 2018 polls in Negri, Pakatan won 20 of 36 state seats and Barisan won the remaining 16.

However, state Umno chief Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias had on several occasions expressed hope that Barisan be allowed to contest 18 seats.

This, he said, was to allow both Pakatan and Barisan to face the polls on equal footing and allow Barisan candidates to be fielded in every parliamentary constituency.

Loke said as far as DAP was concerned, it was prepared to defend the 11 seats the party won in 2018.

"Seat distribution talks in Negri haven't been finalised. I can't even tell for sure if I will defend Chennah at this point in time," said Loke, who is also Seremban MP.

Loke said DAP's list of candidates for Negri had been finalised yet either, but added that there would be some new faces as part of the party's rejuvenation process.

"All 11 assemblymen have been loyal and served well in the past five years. We will have to field new faces as well and this is normal," he said.

Asked if any of DAP's 11 incumbents had indicated a desire to make way, Loke said there were none.

On another matter, Loke said the state DAP would hold a 250-table dinner on July 14 and all tables were sold out.

"We have received some solid support and if the venue was bigger, we could have had more tables," he said.